The Big Fresno Fair 10-day horse racing meet starts today, with first post at 1:15 p.m. and the 10th and final race going off at 5:46 p.m.
It's an annual tradition to head to the fairground for an afternoon at the races -- and really, there's no better excuse for playing hooky on a fall Fresno day.
If you're looking for a couple of tickets -- good for fair entrance, grandstand seating and parking -- leave a comment about your favorite Big Fresno Fair horse racing memory or tradition.
We'll pick a winner randomly.
While you're at the track, say hi to Bee handicapper Rob D. Rodriguez -- and make sure to pick up his handicap with highlighted selections every day only in The Bee.
Reporter Jeff Davis is at the track for opening day.
My best memory is simple, I was at the track...losing as usual and I ran into an old friend who had a horse running in a race coming up. He suggested three different horses for the last three races, including his own...and nailed all three. I won enough to walk a way a winner for a change. Just wish I had bet more...but there wasn't much left. :-)
My father, sister and I spent an afternoon amicably playing our stakes in different horses. My little sister, who has a learning disability, rides Dressage but is the least familiar with racing. She, however, was the biggest winner at The Fair that day. I was happy to see her outdo the two of us for once. Even more special was watching her watch the horses get groomed at the stables flanking the grandstand.
My favourite memory is every year as soon as we enter the fair we go directly to the horse races with my kids and i get to bet on the race coming up and i always pick 3, 5 and 7 no matter what horse, one year i bet $5 on each 7 to win and 3 and 5 to place and won a total of $82 we were so excited, i have never played more than one race, as my children were young and we had to do te whole fair thing, but now they are old enough to where i can actually hang out at the horse races and hope to win and use this time to just do horse racing and not worry about kids being bored. I love the fair.
The best memory I have of the Fresno Horse Races was two years ago when I took my father. We never got along all the years growing up. We never spent time together either. I had to bring him out here to California a few years ago and take care of him as he has damentia and was all alone.
One day knowing how much he loves the horse races I decided I would take him. It was like watching a child in a candy store. He taught me how to make the bets and kept sending me to make bets every race. He won some and lost most. But we both were real winners as this day we shared together and communicated for weeks to come on how we should have bet more on the wins he picked and less on the races he lost. We discussed how next year we would do things differently. But August of last year he had a mssive stroke and was in the hospital just hanging on.
Today he is in a nursing home doing better although he could aspirate at any time and I would love to take him to the races one more time.Damentia can rob the memories but it can't rob the presant.
Thank you all for commenting. Winners have been notified. Happy racing! -- Sports Editor Matt Lloyd